


Valhalla (where the brave shall live forever)

by atypicalsnowman



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Movie Night, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Epic Friendship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 17:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18664972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atypicalsnowman/pseuds/atypicalsnowman
Summary: It had to be too good to be true.  This kind of place wasn't meant for people like him.





	Valhalla (where the brave shall live forever)

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: spoilers for Endgame. Tony is dead but it turns out Valhalla really is paradise. Fix-it fic of a canon-compliant sort. The fluffiest fluff that Endgame could bring about. Oh and jokes about how no one in 616 likes Balder.
> 
> Thanks to betas roozetter and Brethilaki.

Tony came to awareness slowly. 

The first thing he noticed was that he could breathe. He took a deep breath and frowned. He hadn’t been able to do that since before Afghanistan. The second thing he noticed was the smell of beer—really good beer—and steak and roasted vegetables and…cheeseburgers?

The third thing he noticed, upon finally opening his eyes, was the larger-than-life viking guy with the big-ass pole thing. He looked like he could be Thor’s dad, what with the golden eye patch, the gilded armor, the scepter with the Norse runes…

Actually.

“Oh, shit. You’re Thor’s dad,” Tony said, his voice sounding hoarse and weak. 

Ignoring him, Odin clanged his scepter on the ground. “All Hail the Mighty Anthony! Son of Howard and Maria! The destroyer of the Chitauri and the savior of Midgard! Stark the Glorious, defender of All Life! Anthony Stark of Long Island and Earth’s Mightiest Defender! The Invincible Iron Man, leader of the Avengers, slayer of the Mad Titan Thanos, and savior of the Known Universe—all that is and shall be! Hail!”

Tony jumped from where he was still curled into a ball on the floor when hundreds of people shouted, “Hail!” all at once. Some of them were enormous Thor-types, but there were non-humans there as well. And for every hulking warrior-type in armor there were people who looked like they’d fought a different kind of battle. There were people who looked like they hadn’t stepped foot outside of a library since they’d come of age, people who looked like they’d been through hell and back and hell had won. People who were much, much older than him. Some who were much younger.

He blinked and everyone turned away from him, going back to their beer and steak. He completely understood. He could go for a beer and a good steak, too. 

But first things first.

“Okay, number one: where am I and what the hell is going on? And two: who told you I was born in Long Island? I paid very good money to have that covered up.”

“Anthony Stark…Tony,” Odin said, passing his scepter to a younger man at his side. “Welcome to Valhalla.”

It was a good thing he was still sitting. Memories came back in a flash: Thanos, Peter turning to ash, Strange giving up the Time Stone, five great years that were almost too good to be true, a nonsensical time-travel heist that shouldn’t have worked but did and then…

“Holy shit,” he whispered. “I’m dead.” He felt like he should have been hyperventilating but something in the air wouldn’t allow it. 

He was dead. He’d never see Pepper or Morgan again. He’d just got Peter back. And the Avengers, people he thought he’d lost a long time ago, were finally back in his life.

All of that was gone.

“Yes, Tony. You died. And in doing so, saved the entire universe.” He knelt down onto one knee and looked Tony straight in the eye. “Everything that is and everything that ever will be is safe thanks to you. There is no greater hero. It is an honor to welcome you to the glorious death.”

Tears filled Tony’s eyes. It was too much. He hadn’t been thinking of the universe when he’d picked up the Stones. All he’d thought of was Pepper and Morgan and Peter, of everyone he loved. He had seen his make-shift gauntlet lying on the ground, looked over at a very regretful Strange, and knew exactly what he had to do. 

In the end he hadn’t hesitated. 

“Everyone…” he sobbed. “Is everyone…”

“All your loved ones survived the battle. There were fewer casualties than you might have expected, considering it was the ultimate fight of good versus evil.”

“Evil,” Tony repeated. He shook his head. All of this was too much.

“I think it a fair judgement to call exterminating all life in the universe an evil act. Would you not agree?”

Still trying to wrap his around everything, Tony nodded. He felt dizzy but still wasn’t short of breath, like his head might explode but his body was calm. 

Odin chuckled. “That’s all right. It might take some time to get your feet under you. But I believe I can help with that.” He wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist and lifted. “In more ways than one.”

Staggering, Tony stood. The shift in perspective helped him to see exactly where he was now. It was a large dining hall. Everyone was either sitting around the table—eating and drinking, talking and laughing—or sparring in the center of the room. It was exactly how he’d pictured Valhalla when he’d first researched the Norse religions as a teenager.

An everlasting feast, a hero’s great reward. A seat at Odin’s hall for the rest of the afterlife. It was amazing, just the fact that he was allowed in here was amazing. It was a hell of a surprise to a life-long atheist who hadn’t believed in the soul until a pair of wizards told him it was real.

And most surprising of all, it was a little…disappointing. 

This wasn’t exactly his idea of paradise. Paradise was his lake house with his family, only in a reality where everyone had lived and no one had died. It was getting to know his friends all over again and making new ones. It was getting to see his daughter grow into the incredible person he knew she’d become. 

It really wasn’t sitting around drinking with a bunch of warriors for the rest of eternity.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Odin chuckle but he heard him when he bellowed, “Balder! Follow me, boy! And earn your keep for once!”

“Yes, All-Father,” Balder said, and Tony felt kinda bad for the guy…but also like he wanted to toss him into a locker. Which was weird since when he was a kid he was definitely the one being shoved into a locker. There was just something about the guy that threw him off.

“Come with me, Tony,” Odin said, infinitely more gentle than he had been with Balder. “The Savior of All Things required a special touch, I thought. It’s not every day that one saves the universe, after all.”

“Yeah, probably not,” Tony said, taking in everything with awe. As much as he wasn’t completely satisfied with where he’d ended up, he had to admit it had its charms. “Nice place you got here,” he said. “Heating must be a pain.”

Odin started walking and Tony followed, stopped suddenly when Odin whipped around. “Oh where are my manners…and where is your head, boy?!” He smacked Balder on the side of his head and bellowed, “get the Savior of All Things a drink, you idiot!”

Balder rushed off before Tony could say, “Oh, yeah actually no. I promised Pepper and I’ve technically been dry for years.” Although now that he thought about it…

“You do realize you’re dead, Tony?” Odin said, his face transforming into a smile. “You can eat and drink whatever you’d like with no consequences. See everyone around you,” he said, gesturing with a hand at the long table filled with happy, drinking people. “They drink and are satisfied but no more. You can leave all those former cares behind you, my precious boy.”

Tony lifted an eyebrow at that but couldn’t help the warm feeling he got when Odin called him that. Probably should have felt far creepier than it did, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He considered Odin’s offer for a second. “Nah, a promise is a promise. If I’m going to be here forever I should probably start forming good habits. But thanks, though.”

“Of course,” Odin said, and Tony noticed Balder approaching rapidly with a silver tray and goblet. Whatever was inside smelled top-tier and amazing, and Tony internally sighed.

“What the Hel are you thinking, boy!” Odin shouted, upending the tray and sending the amazing wine all over the floor. “Everyone knows that Tony Stark does not drink the fruit of the vine! What do you want, Tony?”

“Uh…coffee would be great.”

“Go get him a coffee! I just had a new machine installed in the east wing. Hop to it! The Savior of All Coffee Beans wants a brew!”

“You really don’t have to…run,” Tony said, watching Balder literally flee his and Odin’s presence. “Huh. That is the fastest I’ve ever seen an intern run for coffee. And I’ve had a lot of interns.” He thought for a second. “And I’m Tony Stark.”

“That’s not an intern. That’s my son, Balder.”

Tony sputtered even though he didn’t have a drink. “Your son? Thor’s brother?”

“And Loki’s. He’s around here somewhere, but I told him to give you a moment before he tried to speak with you. Or stab you.”

“Loki—Loki’s here? Loki, the guy who tried to take over New York, Loki. That guy?” 

“You of all people shouldn’t have a problem with nepotism, Stark.”

He never thought he’d hear that voice again. He turned and took her in. 

She looked happier than he’d ever seen her in life. Like the world-weariness that had always been around her had been lifted, but he’d never even realized it was there. Her eyes were smiling along with the rest of her, and for once it didn’t look like a lie. 

“Agent Romanoff,” he said, smiling. “Miss me?”

She smiled and threw her arms around him. “Yes, Tony,” she said into his shoulder. “You have no idea how much.”

She smelled like beer and sweat. He held her tighter and never wanted to let go.

“Your coffee, Lord and Savior of All Coffee Beans.” Tony really didn’t want this hug to end. He’d missed Natasha and the way things had been for far too long. But he also really wanted a coffee.

Natasha got to it first.

“How dare you!” she shouted, upending yet another polished silver tray, this one holding a large coffee cup that smelled divine. (Heh.) “The Lord and Savior of all Coffee Beans takes his coffee black. Everyone knows that!”

“Everyone knows that, you idiot! Make it again!” Odin shouted.

“Seriously, guys, it’s okay. I could have had it with cream. I once drank dirty desert water out of bacteria-ridden rotting barrel. I can drink anything.”

“The Lord of All Facial Hair will not be subjected to coffee he finds substandard,” Odin said calmly. “Make it again!” Balder vanished.

An eyebrow went up in Natasha’s direction. She shrugged. “I don’t know what it is about that guy, but I kinda want to tie his shoelaces together.”

“Come, Tony,” Odin said, taking his elbow. “My incompetent son can catch up to us. Allow me to show you your personal room in Valhalla.”

Odin and Tony walked forward toward the end of the hall, but Natasha fell back. Feeling oddly bereft without her, he looked back. “You’re not coming?”

She shook her head. “That’s your Valhalla, Tony. This is mine,” she said, and suddenly a dozen ninjas appeared out of nowhere and attacked her all at once.

“Oh!” Tony said, before realizing she was having the time of her life. “Do the thing with your legs! Do the thing with your legs!” She complied and took one of the ninja’s heads in a thigh grip that turned him completely upside down. “Yeah!” he shouted and pumped his fist.

Odin chuckled. “Let her have her fun, Tony. You can visit her later…if you’d like.”

The way he said that had Tony worried. “Why would I not want to visit her? Of course I’d want to visit her. Plus she has ninjas. I love ninjas. Who doesn’t?”

“You’ll see. Come.”

They passed the main table and Tony couldn’t help but smile at all the warriors gathered around, talking with each other, enjoying each other, looking like the best of friends. Like family. Something awful ached in his heart at the thought. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Natasha was here too. Maybe being the Savior of All meant he could put in a good word for Pepper and Morgan, eventually.

Being the Savior of Everything had to be worth more than coffee made exactly the way he wanted it. Right?

“Here are your rooms, Tony.”

It was a plain door, looking almost out of place within the splendor of the rest of the hall. Odin tugged on the doorknob and a bright light shone from within, and Tony couldn’t focus for how bright it was. 

“What is this…” He took one step inside and everything became clear. “Oh,” he breathed. 

“Hey, Tony!” Rhodey said from the sofa. “We’ve been waiting for you. Peter’s been going on about this really old movie he loves, ‘Star Wars.’”

It wasn’t possible. Tony looked around the room. It was the common room in Stark Tower, the room where they used to gather for movie night before everything went to hell. He’d hated selling the tower if only for losing this one room and all the memories that went along with it. 

He’d had some of the best nights of his life in this room. And all from just sitting around with his favorite people, watching old movies and talking about absolutely nothing important at all.

“Hey, Tony,” Steve said from behind him. “I have to admit I’m surprised to be here.”

“Me too!” a voice squeaked before Peter tackled him from the ceiling. “I’ve never even been here before but this is so great, Mr. Stark. And can you believe Mr. Rogers hasn’t seen Star Wars? He’s going to love it so much! With the,” and Peter made what were probably lightsaber noises in his mind, “nyoom nyoom and the pew pew pew, and zooooom. And then Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star and saves the universe at the very last second!” His eyes went wide. “Oh, no! I gave away the ending!”

Tony laughed and hugged him. Then looked over to the other side of the room. Thor was there, with Clint, Bruce, and Strange. The cloak waved at him from the corner of the room.

“Wait, what is this? Is this real?” he asked, in doubt but not willing to let Peter go. “How is this possible? I thought you said everyone survived. How are they here?”

“They are but shadows of their real selves. Mirrors of the actual people who still live,” Odin said, but Tony didn’t understand what that meant. Did that mean this was all fake? That this was a room filled with what were essentially hallucinations, shadows that his sacrifice entitled him to but weren’t real? 

He took a step back, shaking his head. “No. I don’t—I don’t want that. This. I don’t want something that’s not real. How could you possibly know what the real Peter would say right now? How could you possibly know? I don’t want…” he started shaking. It had seemed so perfect, he should have known it couldn’t be true. “I don’t want a lie. I can’t. My friends, everyone deserves more than that.”

“Tony,” said a deeper voice from behind him. Stephen slowly stood up. “It’s not a lie. We’re all really here. It’s just a mirror of our real selves.” 

“It’s because you’re not thinking fourth dimensionally!” 

“Oh, God,” Tony said. “If this is Valhalla what is Back to the Future doing here?”

“Hey, man,” Scott said, “Back to the Future is everywhere. And you guys said Back to the Future was full of shit! I knew it.” He pointed at all of them. “Never doubt Doctor Emmitt L Brown.”

If it were possible, everything that came out of Scott’s mouth might have given Tony a stroke. As it was his eyes rolled as far back in his head as possible. 

“Okay,” he said, turning to Stephen. “What is this? Are you real?”

“Real as you are…douchebag.” Stephen smiled and Tony couldn’t help but smile with him. This was one of the people he’d thought of while he was building his life with Pepper. One of the friendships he’d felt he’d missed out on. If he had a chance now…

It had to be too good to be true. 

“Okay, but how?”

“Because soul is a real thing, Tony. And this is Valhalla. Our souls are still on Earth, but they’re reflected here. And so while our physical bodies and, yes, our souls are not actually here we are who we are. I am Stephen Strange, he is Peter Parker, and—“

“You’re not thinking fourth dimensionally!”

“I’m sorry, I have no idea who that is,” Stephen said with a sigh. “Who are you?”

“I’m Ant-Man,” Scott said, with a shrug. “Come on, you’ve heard of me.”

“I keep tabs on every major player on Earth and no,” Stephen said, raising an eyebrow. “I haven’t.”

“Come on, man. I get really small, then really big. I punched a really big space ship during the final battle… My girlfriend is the Wasp…”

“Ah! Hope Van Dyne! She’s brilliant. I’ve definitely heard of her.”

Scott sighed and grabbed the remote, starting the movie.

“Point is, Tony,” Stephen said, putting an arm on Peter’s shoulder. “We’re all here. This is your paradise.” He frowned and looked over at Scott who looked to be having a hard time with the remote. “And you invited that guy.”

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away,” Scott said, Peter jumping away and joining him on the couch.

“DUN!!!”

“It’s true, Tony,” Odin said. “Your friends really are here for you.”

“Dun nu nu du da da da dun da da da!” Scott and Peter sang in unison with the opening of Star Wars from the couch.

“Even me.” Natasha said from behind him. That was the second time she’d gotten the drop on him and both in under an hour. 

Tony turned. “I thought you were up to your ears in ninjas.”

“Oh, I still am. I’m a mirror too.”

“Wait, okay. How?”

Natasha smiled, then looked over to where Steve was watching as the Star Destroyer descended on Princess Leia’s ship. Thor was eating popcorn. Clint and Bruce were both having a beer, and the cloak was draped over Peter. 

Rhodey wasn’t watching the movie. Rhodey was watching Tony, and he looked happier than Tony had seen him in a long time.

Tony took everything in, happiness bursting out of him, so much happiness he didn’t know what to do with it. Could hardly even believe it was real.

It couldn’t be.

“It can’t just be this easy,” he whispered. Because these sorts of things never were. Especially not for him.

“It’s Heaven, Tony,” Natasha said, and her eyes smiled along. “And from what I’ve heard nothing about wielding all six of the Infinity Stones was easy.”

“Indeed not,” Odin said. “You’ve earned all this and more, Tony Stark, Master Smith and Lord of all Mechanics.”

The door to the common room flung open and Balder ran inside, panting. “My Lord of All Artificial Intelligence. Your coffee.” 

“Ah, now we’re talking,” Tony sighed, closing his eyes and enjoying a full inhale of an extra dark roast. “Oh, that’s good. That’s very good.”

“Excellent, Savior of All Small Fluffy Mammals,” Balder said. “I also took the liberty of bringing you the best cut from the fatted pig.”

“Oooh, probably not. Never been a big fan of pork. I could really do with a cheeseburger though.”

“You idiot!” Stephen said, flinging the side of pork from the tray. Peter raced and caught it, taking a big bite himself. “Everyone knows the Savior of All prefers cheeseburgers!”

“Yeah!” Natasha said, taking a piece of the pork from Peter for herself. “Everyone knows that.”

“Of course, my lords and lady. Forgive me,” he said and hurried away.

“I don’t know what it is about that guy,” Stephen said. “But I just want put his hand in a glass of warm water while he’s asleep.”

“Right?” Natasha said.

“Tony,” Odin said. “Leave them be for a moment. Let me show you the other rooms in this house.”

“There’s more? Wait,” he said, not daring to hope. “Pepper? Morgan?”

Odin smiled. “Come with me.”

It seemed as though Odin knew how eager Tony was to see his little family again. They quickly walked down what had been a hallway in the tower, down to the elevator.

“Going up, sir?” JARVIS asked as soon as they entered the elevator.

“Oh my god, JARVIS! Is that you?” 

“So it would seem, sir.”

Tony laughed, anticipating building in him as the elevator began to move. First his friends, then JARVIS, and now…

The elevator opened just one floor up from the common room. He exited and stepped out from the garage of his lake house. Morgan’s little tent was still up, and he could hear the sound of her chatter from inside.

“Is she… I mean… That’s her, right? She’s my baby? Is she… I don’t even know what I’m asking. I don’t know what to do with this.” I don’t deserve this, he thought.

“She’s a mirror, dear boy.” Odin smiled softly and looked over to where Morgan came out from her tent. “She will continue to grow and learn as her soul on Earth does. She will be herself. You did not lose her.”

“How?” Tony gasped. “And don’t say I’m not thinking fourth dimensionally. How is this possible?”

Odin looked sad for a moment and looked out over the lake. “It’s lovely here. A true paradise. I can see why you picked this spot for your family. I made…so many mistakes with mine.” He sighed. “Loki had so much potential. He and Thor could have been the greatest rulers of Asgard. The great protector king and his cunning advisor. But I ruined it. I destroyed even the possibility before it could take root.”

Morgan was zooming around the lake in her Rescue helmet and glove gauntlet.

“But you…Tony Stark, you are a good father. You used the five years Stephen Strange traded for you on Titan and you built something that will last. Not every person does that with their second chance. But you did.”

Tony winced. “I think it was technically my third, possibly even fourth chance. But yeah. I got lucky. Me and Pepper. We got sooo lucky. All I could think was this is it, this is my chance. And I had it, I had what I always wanted except…”

Tony blinked away tears. Morgan was swinging from a tire. 

“Except the rest of the world had suffered. And you lost Peter.”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “But I got him back.”

“You did,” Odin said, then went up the porch steps to sit on the patio. Tony followed him, keeping Morgan in sight. “The Savior of All Things should not have to lose everything. When I saw you approaching my realm I was disturbed by the injustice of it all. No, life isn’t fair, but this seemed a far greater injustice than most. And I am Odin All Father. It was within my power to fix this. And so I did.”

“Daddy!” Morgan screamed, rushing up to the porch.

“Tony?” said a voice from behind him. “There you are!” Pepper came out from the house, and Tony knew he really was in Valhalla. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Pep,” he said, and hugged her, then nearly fell over with the force of Morgan’s hug. “Hey, baby.” He picked her up and just held her. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Me too,” said Pepper. “God, me too.” She cried into his shoulder and he never thought he could be so happy. 

A few minutes later the little family was sitting around a table, Morgan in Tony’s lap. He was completely unable to let her go. Odin had left an hour ago, saying something about Loki causing havoc in the kitchens.

“So what do we do now?” Pepper asked.

“Live?” Tony brushed his fingers through Morgan’s hair. “I take it the house is still fitted with FRIDAY?”

“And how,” Pepper said. “I’ve never seen your workshop so well stocked. Odin really likes you.”

“I mean, I did save the universe. That’s a thing that actually happened.” 

“Yeah,” she said, and the sun shone on her hair like a poem. “That happened. You won’t be bored?”

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t get bored before.”

“Yeah, but Tony that was five years. This is eternity.”

“True, but I don’t have to only stay here. You don’t either. Odin says we can live our lives how we want them.” It still didn’t seem real but he still found himself saying the words. “Apparently saving the universe means I’m the richest guy in the afterlife. I get you, this squirt,” he said, tickling Morgan. “I get movie nights and a workshop. And if I get bored with all of that, Nat has ninjas.”

“Oh, well. Ninjas. Why didn’t you say so before?”

“I know. What was I thinking?”

“Here you are, my Lord Tony Stark, Savior of All Creatures Great and Small. Your cheeseburger,” Balder said, offering what looked like the best burger he’d ever seen on a literal silver platter. He was surprised to discover the actual sensation of hunger where none had been before. He reached out to take it…

“How dare you!” Pepper yelled, throwing the burger into the bushes. 

“Ah, no!” Tony said. That was his burger. It was perfect except for…

“Everyone knows Tony Stark hates onions!”

“A thousand apologies, my Lady Pepper. I’ll remake it at once.” And Balder scurried off to do just that.

“Oh, sorry. Morgan, you should never do what mommy just did. I don’t know what it is about that guy, but I just want to give him a wedgie.”

Tony laughed and hugged Morgan tighter.

*

“So,” Stephen said, crossing his legs and letting his tea steep. “I’m to understand it would be rude to offer you a drink?”

Tony leaned back in his chair, taking in the beauty of the New York Sanctum in a way he couldn’t the last time he was here. He’d been surprised when he was exploring the floors in the tower that one of them opened here, with Stephen waiting for him reading a book and sipping tea by a roaring fire. When he’d last been here he was amazed by it, even if he’d been in a blind panic.

Still, he had to admit this was nice.

“Maybe just one,” Tony said. “But don’t tell Odin.”

Stephen poured him two fingers and passed the drink over. They sat in silence and enjoyed the fire, the beauty of the building itself, and the presence of each other.

“I was very pleased to find myself here, Tony. Especially after everything that happened.”

“I thought you said there was no other way.” Tony took a sip of his drink and waited for Stephen to answer. 

He had to wait a few minutes. Stephen looked into his tea like he was reading the leaves. “There wasn’t. But it still broke my heart to send you to your death. If I could have done it for you, I would have.”

“You gave me five years, Doc. Five years I put to really good use. I got my happy ending.” And he had.

“Only for a little while,” Stephen said sadly.

Tony laughed. “Look around you, Stephen. This is it. This is my happy ending. Everything I ever wanted,” he said, and his heart was full to bursting. He could still barely believe it. “And I earned it. I did what I thought I never could do. I redeemed myself and I earned this.” 

Stephen leaned back in his chair and finally sipped his tea. “I’m glad you’re happy, Tony. Truly. This place…I’m grateful to Odin, for this, for giving all of this to you.”

“Oh, no,” Tony said.

“What?”

“Are you having the big bad man-pain about me having to sacrifice myself in order to save the universe?”

Stephen snorted. “Hardly.” The tea cup made a sweet sound as it hit the saucer. “Maybe.”

“Is your counter part also having big bad man-pain?”

“Oh, definitely.” Stephen kept his head down, not meeting Tony’s eyes.

“Stephen, look at me,” Tony commanded, and Stephen did. “I’m happy. Please, please be happy with me. You’re ruining the atmosphere of my afterlife.”

“You’re really okay with all this?”

“I think this…is way more than I could have ever asked for. I get to see Morgan grow up, but I also get to see her possible children and grandchildren. I can breathe again. I got my friends back. I get…everything. So yeah, I’m okay with this.”

Stephen nodded, then smiled.

“Plus it’s hardly perfect. I mean, if it was actually perfect, now that would be boring. But earlier Morgan threw a fit because she didn’t want to eat her peas, then Pepper went to bed early with a headache.” Tony smiled and looked into his drink. “Oh, and look!”

He showed Stephen a small burn mark on his hand.

“Do we have ointment in Valhalla and do you want some?”

“No, asshole. I burned my finger while I was in my lab, then DUM-E doused me with an extinguisher. So…not perfect. Which makes it absolutely perfect.”

Stephen smiled and nodded. “In that case,” he said, and waved his scarred hands and summoned a table with a chess board on it. “Chess?”

“God, no,” Tony laughed. “You ruined chess for me, wizard. No, how about cards? Hang on. Balder!”

“Yes, Tony of the Biggest Dick Energy?”

“Would you bring me and my awesome facial hair bro a deck of cards and some chips?”

“Awesome facial hair bro?”

Balder gave a slight bow. “Of course, Savior of All.”

“Thanks, buddy.”

Balder looked startled but smiled as he walked away until the Cloak of Levitation tripped him on his way out the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Second fic I've written in five days after an eight year hiatus. It feels really good. This will probably be the last fic I write where Tony is dead and stays dead. After this I imagine I'll write some nice long ironstrange and that will be my new canon.


End file.
